Havana, Oct 16 (EFE).- The Cuban independent feminist platforms Alas Tensas and Yo Sí Te Creo (YSTC) confirmed this Monday two new sexist murders in Cuba, bringing the total to 65 so far in 2023, a figure that doubles that of the entire previous year.
The activists have verified the femicide of Lisandra Pérez Marcial, 35, murdered by her partner in their home in Caibarién, Villa Clara, on October 15.
Likewise, they confirmed the sexist crime against teacher Bárbara Rodríguez Guerra, 41, the victim of her partner, which occurred on September 20, in the eastern town of Manzanillo, province of Granma.
The activists sent their condolences “to the son who survives Lisandra, who witnessed the violent death of his mother, to the two minor daughters who survive Barbara,” and other relatives and close friends of both victims.
Alas Tensas and Yo Si Te Creo stressed that these events “grieve families and raise alerts for gender violence in the country.”
They affirmed that their demands “are clear although ignored by the authorities” and appealed to citizens “for the prevention of something irreparable such as the unnecessary loss of life.”
Alas Tensas and Yo Si Te Creo stressed that these events “grieve families and raise alerts for gender violence in the country.”
Both stressed that they are working on four alerts of possible sexist crimes in Santiago de Cuba, in the western towns of Guanabo and Bauta, and in Guáimaro, a municipality in the province of Camagüey.
So far this year, the total number of verified femicides in all of 2022 (34) has already been exceeded in Cuba, according to monitoring by Alas Tensas and YSTC.
The Cuban authorities do not release updated official statistics on these events.
The work of these feminist groups and their dissemination in the unofficial media has contributed to highlighting the cases of sexist murders and disappearances of Cuban women in recent years.
The activists insist that a “state of emergency due to gender violence” be declared, and regret that the Government has not taken measures in this regard.
In addition, they advocate for a comprehensive law against gender violence (sexist murder is not classified in the Penal Code) and the implementation of protocols to prevent these events, as well as the creation of shelters and rescue systems for women and their families. children in danger.
The activists insist that a “state of emergency due to gender violence” be declared, and regret that the Government has not taken measures in this regard.
In a speech in Parliament last July, President Miguel Díaz-Canel assured that in Cuba any criminal act is “exaggerated, fundamentally cases involving violence and, in particular, those of gender violence” due to a “manifest imperial effort to create a climate of insecurity and mistrust” on the Island.
The ruling Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) presented in early June the Cuban Observatory on Gender Equality, which includes statistics of “women who have been victims of intentional homicide as a consequence of gender violence in the last 12 months.”
The Supreme People’s Court (TSP) reported in mid-May that in 2022 there were 18 convictions for femicides, all with sanctions – for the crime of murder – above 25 years in prison.
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